Plantation house in Louisiana

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Walnut Grove plantation house is located one-fifth of a mile southwest of Bayou Rapides and approximately two miles southeast of the town of Cheneyville. The land is flat and the bayou ultimately meanders around 3 sides of the house. At one time there was an extensive formal garden in front. Although most of the plant material is gone, five parallel brick paths were recently exposed in the front yard.

The house itself is a 2 story, 5 bay, hip roofed brick plantation house with a modified central hall plan. Originally the lower hall was open to the air. The upper hall has a side corridor which branches off at a right angle and terminates in a graceful fanlight-side light door combination at each end of the upper hall, which at one time were the main means of access to the formal room on the second floor. Originally there was a formal staircase and porch at the center of the house to give access to the hall. The only galleries are at the rear. The upper story mantels have pilasters with cyma recta moldings. Most of the original paneled doors and 6 over 6 windows are original as are the upper story floor boards.

There was a considerable reworking of the ground floor in the early twentieth century in which a Queen Anne Revival stair and archway were installed and the old central hall was removed.

The present front porch was added in 1927. The tin roof and roof top hatch-way covering are of recent construction.

Side and front view (1980)

Front view (1980)

Pathways (1980)